Exploring medical students’ perceptions on the effectiveness of a clinical skills rotation at a clinical skills laboratory

Date
2018-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH SUMMARY : Learning skills and competencies through simulation is a safe way of teaching medical students clinical procedures before exposing real patients to their practice. This is the case at the Ziauddin University (ZU) in Pakistan. The study was done after a Clinical Skills Laboratory (CSL) was established where Clinical Skills Rotation (CSR) was taught. The aim of the study was to determine how students experienced this new form of teaching and how it affected the rotations following the training in the CSL. The focus of the CSR was the transfer of knowledge into a variety of skills such as communication, interpersonal, and psychomotor skills, mostly through simulation-based training on manikins and on standardised patients. The study adopted an explorative approach by making use of both qualitative and quantitative data. One-to-one interviews were conducted with participants who attended CSR along with other rotations in the third year of their Bachelor of Medicine Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) class. Quantitative data was also gathered. The design comprised a quantitative component in the form of a Likert scale type questionnaire coupled with a qualitative component comprising unstructured interviews. The sample was selected from the third year MBBS class of 2016. The students were divided into two groups that completed the questionnaires and took part in the interviews, which the researcher conducted. The data gathered from the questionnaires were collated in tables to indicate the trends found in the answers. The interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analysed through thematic analysis using a coding process to develop evolving themes. The quantitative data analysis showed overall positive perceptions and experiences of attending CSR. The majority of respondents perceived that the clinical skills sessions were conducted with clear aims and objectives. There was a clear indication that they thought the educational content was appropriate for a student’s level of understanding. Two thirds of students positively responded, describing the CSL sessions as relevant to their clinical contexts. Most of them agreed that these sessions created interest and enthusiasm among students. The qualitative data showed that most of the students enjoyed learning in a CSL and valued the experiences that would enhance their performance of procedural skills, communication skills, and universal precaution. In addition, skills that students learned at CSR moderately affected their learning in other rotations.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Die aanleer van vaardighede en bevoegdheid deur simulasie is ʼn veilige manier om mediese studente kliniese prosedures aan te laat leer voordat werklike pasiënte blootgestel word aan hulle praktiese toepassing daarvan. Dit is die geval by Ziauddin Universiteit in (ZU) Pakistan. Die studie is gedoen nadat die Kliniese Vaardigheidslaboratorium (KVL) gevestig is. ʼn Kliniese Vaardigheidsrotasie (KVR) is ingestel in die KVL om die studente te onderrig. Die doel van die studie is om vas te stel hoe studente dié nuwe vorm van onderrig beleef en hoe dit die daaropvolgende rotasies na opleiding in die KVL beïnvloed. Die fokus van die KVR was die oordrag van kennis na verskeie vaardighede soos kommunikasie, interpersoonlike en psigomotoriese vaardighede, meestal deur middel van simulasiegebaseerde opleiding op plastiese modelle en gestandardiseerde pasiënte. Die studie het ʼn verkennende benadering gevolg deur van beide kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe data gebruik te maak. Een-tot-een onderhoude is gedoen met deelnemers wat die KVR bygewoon het saam met and rotasies in die derde jaar Baccelarius Geneeskunde en Baccelarius Snykunde klas (MBBS). Kwantitatiewe data is ook ingesamel. Die ontwerp het bestaan uit ʼn kwantitatiewe komponent in die vorm van ʼn Likert-skaal tipe vraelys tesame met ʼn kwalitatiewe komponent wat bestaande uit ongestruktureerde onderhoude. Die studente is in twee groepe ingedeel wat onderskeidelik deelgeneem het aan die voltooiing van die vraelys en deelgeneem het aan die onderhoude wat die navorser gevoer het. Die data wat ingesamel is deur middel van die vraelyste is saamgevat in tabelle om die tendense wat in die antwoorde gevind is aan te dui. Die onderhoude is opgeneem, getranskribeer en geanaliseer deur middel van tematiese analise en ʼn koderingsproses om ontluikende temas te ontsluit. Die kwantitatiewe data analise het oor die algemeen positiewe persepsies en ervarings van die bywoning van die KVR aangedui. Die meeste respondente se persepsie was dat die kliniese vaardigheidsessies aangebied is met duidelike doelstellings en doelwitte. Daar was ʼn duidelike aanduiding dat hulle gedink het die opvoedkundige inhoud was gepas vir ʼn student se vlak van begrip. Twee-derdes van die studente het positief gereageer op die vraag oor die relevansie vir hulle kliniese konteks. Die meeste van hulle het saamgestem dat hierdie sessies belangstelling en entoesiasme by studente geskep het. Die kwalitatiewe data het aangedui dat meeste studente die leerervarings in die KVL geniet en waarde geheg het aan die ervarings wat hulle toepassing van die prosedurele vaardighede, komunikasievaardighede en universele voorkoming sou verbeter. Daarbenewens het die vaardighede wat studente in die KVL geleer het, ook die studente se leervermoëns in ander kliniese rotasies tot ʼn mate verbeter.
Description
Thesis (MMed)--Stellenbosch University, 2018.
Keywords
Medical technology -- Study and teaching -- Simulation methods -- Sindh (Pakistan), Clinical Skills Rotation (CSR) -- Sindh (Pakistan), Ziauddin University -- Students -- Sindh (Pakistan), UCTD
Citation